In his candid tête-à-tête with You! Umer talks about his experience in the fashion industry, his likes and dislikes…
you & me
With great success comes great responsibility. Abiding to that fact, some of the celebrities devote a lot of their time for the welfare of people and similarly, Umer Rehman falls among those few philanthropists, who attained meteoric rise through their charitable and humanitarian work. His phenomenal projects for rehabilitation of psychiatric and special people brought him international acclaim when he received UNICEF’s Glory of Country Award (GCA) in 2020. His association with the fashion industry is going equally well, with having worked on an array of projects including TVCs McDonalds, Jazz, Himalaya Herbal, Oppa, Vava Car, Bank Alafalah, Foodpanda, National Foods, etc. and shoots, brands and designers such as Humayun Alamgir, Amir Adnan, Afzal Ahmed, Deepak & Fahad, Diners, Cotton & Silk, Kurta Corner, High Street, Edge Republic, etc. In his candid tête-à-tête with You! Umer talks about his experience in the fashion industry, his likes and dislikes…
How did you make it to the glam world?
I was approached by a designer through Facebook for a shoot which turned out to be a hit. Later, I got my portfolio done to be able to pursue my career professionally. Soon, I was signed up by a talent agency and ever since there is no looking back.
Who do you attribute your success to?
I owe my success to ‘Citrus Talent’ which is like a second home to me. They helped me hone my skills and helped me reach where I am today.
How do you manage to stay focused?
If you want to learn how to take adulation in your stride then you need to be fearless, ambitious and most importantly tremendously robust.
How has your experience been working for Special Olympics?
Being a part of the Special Olympics event, was truly a privilege watching those athletes striving their hardest regardless of the outcome with positive attitudes and the larger-than-life smiles. Many of them were not even aware of what they were doing, but they discovered success in their effort and fun from the competition, making all of us realise how less our contribution is for rehabilitation of these special people.
How does it feel to be a recipient of UNICEF’s GCA?
Receiving the GCA in 2020 from UNICEF was quite overwhelming. It is a milestone in my career and I feel highly honoured that UNICEF acknowledged my contribution for social good and bestowed me the internationally acclaimed award.
Something that you would like to remember:
My TVC with Ayeza Khan shot in Dubai.
Your strength:
My struggle, as I wasn’t a privileged star kid who got an easy pass into the industry. I had to work hard to carve my own niche amongst this cut-throat competition.
What fitness regimen do you follow?
I prefer running and elliptical in cardio exercises and for weights training I drag myself to the gym on alternate days due to work load. But I watch my diet and stay away from carbs.
What are your post-workout meals right after a strenuous sweat session?
A wholesome bowl of chicken breast with rice and greens and sometimes, just a protein shake.
When pissed off, how do you vent your anger?
I dispel my anger by hitting the dumbbells in my gym or going for a quick run.
Any parting words?
I would like to reproduce a quote of Leo Buscaglia here that too often we underestimate the power of a touch, a smile, a kind word, a listening ear, an honest compliment, or the smallest act of caring, all of which have the potential to turn a life around. So we all should try that we are there for our people.
Photography by Imran Khan
